Kim Meets her Son after 53 Years

At just 16, Kim experienced a moment that would shape the rest of her life: She gave birth to a baby boy. Her parents, guided by their faith and expectations of the time, decided the baby would be given up for adoption. Kim parted ways with her baby—later named Shawn—shortly after he was born.

When she first discovered she was pregnant, “I was scared to tell my parents,” Kim, 69, remembered. As the oldest of six girls, money was tight in Kim’s family. “My parents couldn’t afford another mouth to feed. I couldn’t have done it. It was the best decision, even though it was made on my behalf,” she said.

Later, Kim married her high school sweetheart. Together, they raised two sons and a daughter in a home filled with love and laughter. The couple enjoyed 30 years together before he passed away from a heart attack, when Kim was in her late 40s. “He was my soulmate,” Kim recalled.

A caregiver amidst grief

As Kim grew older, her life was marked with a deep sense of compassion and a lifelong devotion to family as a result of her teenage experience. “My children knew I gave a child up for adoption, but we didn’t talk much about it growing up,” she said. Instead, Kim’s actions revealed the depth of her heart: She became a dependable source of support that her loved ones could rely on in times of need.

This was especially clear during a period when Kim’s adult daughter was unable to care for her two children, Paige and Kenny. Kim welcomed her grandchildren into her home and raised them as her own. They returned to their mother once she was able to care for them, but then in 2015, Kim’s daughter died. Kim once again opened her door to Kenny and Paige. Then just a few years later, she lost her second husband.

Kim’s bond with her grandson Kenny was especially profound. Born with cystic fibrosis, he was often called a “miracle boy” by doctors and needed ongoing special care. When he underwent a double lung transplant in 2022 as a teenager, Kim loved seeing the boy experience the simple joys of childhood that had once been out of reach. But when Kenny contracted a staph infection that led to the rejection of his transplant, he passed away at just 19 years old. “He was a good, sweet kid, but he was dealt a crap hand in life. I was so lucky to have him in my life,” Kim shared.

Over the years, even more tragedy plagued Kim’s family. Both of her sons experienced the loss of children, totaling four of her grandchildren who passed away.

“Just when you think something is going well, the world comes crashing around. It’s been rough, but you just have to keep going,” she said.

New connection after loss

One of the ways Kim kept going was by researching the whereabouts of the son she’d given up for adoption more than 50 years before. “I was on Ancestry.com, and I received a pop-up about Missouri adoptions. That is how I found my son,” Kim explained.

After discovering Shawn’s information on a website, Kim mustered the courage to send the email that would change her life forever: I think I am your birth mother.

“I was nervous. I thought maybe he didn’t want to find me. But he emailed me back and was so excited. He said, ‘I have been looking for you since I was 14.’ Then we started texting and calling. It was like an instant connection.”

Kim told Shawn about his siblings, nieces, and nephews that he had never met. All Kim’s sisters reached out to Shawn. Since both his adopted parents had passed away, Shawn, a disabled veteran himself, was thrilled to be welcomed into a new family.

The only challenge was that after losing her second husband, Kim lived on an extremely tight fixed income in rural Missouri. Visiting Shawn in New York seemed out of reach. That’s when Wish of a Lifetime stepped in, allowing mother and son to finally meet face to face. Kim traveled to New York, where her sister Karen and granddaughter Paige also joined the long-overdue visit.

Shawn met them in the city along with his wife Erin. When Kim saw him in person for the first time, she felt like the world was moving in slow motion. “It was just like I let go of his hand yesterday and picked it up again the next. It was unreal. He was overwhelmed and he had so much to talk about.”

Thanks to our Official Hotel Provider, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Kim spent three nights at the Wingate by Wyndham New York Midtown with a view of the Empire State Building. The family toured New York City, enjoyed a special dinner, and connected as much as they could.

“Words cannot express how grateful our family is that Kim and Shawn were afforded this. I was so lucky to have been her companion, happy to see my niece Paige in New York, and meet my nephew. It was a wish come true for me as well,” said Kim’s sister, Karen.

Reflecting on change

Kim’s time with Shawn not only allowed her to fill the void she had felt for so many years, but also reflect on how culture and perceptions have changed.

“When my parents were alive, I think they were ashamed of me. A lot of my extended family didn’t know about my pregnancy or that I had a baby. It was all hush-hush. [Afterward] I put this [experience] on Facebook and shared my story. I have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to hide,” Kim reflected. “People are so supportive now, seeing me find my son. They have been so open and happy for me and Shawn.”

Saying goodbye to Shawn at the end of the visit was extremely difficult for Kim, but the family is already making plans for Shawn to meet even more extended family. Shawn learned that he lives just 30 minutes away from Kim’s granddaughter Paige in New York. He hopes to visit Missouri in the future to meet his two brothers.

“I can’t wait to spend more time with him,” Kim said. “I know we will see each other again soon.”